Coated fabric



Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,307,225 COATED FAnmo Robert L. Lester, Newburgh, N. Y., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington,

Del., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application July 12, 1940, Serial No. 345,169

9 Claims. (Cl. 117-73) This invention relates to coated fabrics and more particularly to a supple, heat and stainresistant, waterproof and cleanable coated fabric cleanable the original pliability of the fabric is altered. to such an extent that it does not drape over the edges of a table in the same manner as an uncoated cloth. The cellulose derivative coated fabrics heretofore produced having pliability approaching that of untreated fabric are not adapted for use as tablecloths since they are not heat resistant. If sufficient plasticizer is added to the cellulose nitrate or acetate coating to produce the desired degree of suppleness in the coated fabric there is a tendency for the plasticizer to exude or spew to the surface of the coating when hot dishes are placed in contact with the coating, which results in a tacky surface.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a waterproof and cleanable fabric suitable for tablecloths, which is sufliciently supple to drape over the edges of a table in the same manner as an uncoated cloth.

A further object is the provision of a coated tablecloth which is supple and heat resistant and will not be marred by hot dishes or other hot containers.

A still further object is the provision of a supple, heat-resistant, cleanable, non-staining tablecloth material which has a linen-like appearance.

Other objects will appear hereinafter as the description of the invention proceeds.

These and related objects are accomplished by first coating a textile fabric with a plasticized thermoplastic cellulose ether coating and applying a thermosetting non-thermoplastic resin surface coating over said thermoplastic coating in sufficient quantity to render the coated fabric heat resistant. The coatings are applied in insuflicient quantity to alter the pliability of the fabric.

By reference to a thermoplastic coating hereinafter is meant a material which' will become soft, but not necessarily cementitious by the application of heat, and after the removal of heat will assume the original pliability.

By reference to a thermosetting coating hereinafter is meant a material which will be set up or hardened by the application of heat and once the material is set up or hardened, further heating will not soften the material.

The following example is given to illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

EXAMPLE I A woven cotton fabric, known 'to the tradeas an Osnaburg sheeting, running 1.33 yards per pound per 60 inch width, count 40 x 28 bleached, undyed or dyed a suitable color, was first coated by means of a doctor knife application of the following thermoplastic composition:

Fz'rst coating composition apparatus described in U. S. Patent 2,107,276 which issued to W. T. Anderson. The volatile I solvents were expelled by passing the material through a drying chamber such as described by Anderson and Henry in U. S. Patent 2,107,275. The above thermoplastic composition was compounded by first preparing a solution of ethyl cellulose consisting of the following:

Per cent by Weight Extra extra high viscosity ethyl cellulose 16.50 Ethyl acetate 41.75 Ethyl alcohol 8.35 Toluol 33.40

A second solution of the castor oil modified glycerol sebacate was prepared as follows:

Per cent by weight Castor oil modified glycerol sebacate Ethyl acetate 20 Ethyl alcohol 20 A third solution of paraiiln wax was prepared as follows:

. Per cent by weight Paraffin wax (145 F. melting point) 10 Toluol 90 Print or silk screen stencil composition Percent by weight Extra extra high viscosity ethyl cellulose- Castor oil modified glycerol sebacate 7.92

Pigment 16.50

Butyl acetate 33.00

Toluol 11.02

Ethyl acetate 18.06 Ethyl alc l 7.05

Monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol 1.00

The method of formulating the printing and stencil composition is well known in the art.

Following the application of the colored design by means of silk screen stencil or intaglio print roller an intermediate thermoplastic coating composition was applied over the colored design. The formula for the intermediate thermoplastic coating composition wa as follows:

Intermediate coating composition Per cent by weight ,Extra extra high viscosity ethyl cellulose 11.40

The above thermoplastic composition was prepared in the same manner described in connection with the first coating composition. The means of application and drying were the same as that employed in connection with the first coating composition. Approximately 5 ounces of the intermediate coating composition were applied over the decorative design which corre-v sponds to approximately 1.6 ounces of non-volatile components per yard per 60" width.

The ethyl cellulose in the above compositions is that known in the trade as extra extra high viscosity. The viscosity of a 16.5% solution in a solvent mixture consisting of 50 parts of ethyl acetate, 40 parts of toluol and parts of ethyl alcohol at C. corresponds to 250-500 seconds as determined by the falling ball method described in A. S. T. M. 301-33.

A final surface coat of a thermosetting resinous composition was applied over the intermediate Butyl phthalyl butyl glycolate 17.20

Parafiin wax (145 F. melting point) 1.38

Toluol 35.46

Ethyl alcohol 5.76 Ethyl acetate 28.80

thermoplastic coating composition in sufllcient 7 quantity to render the material heat resistant and in insuiflcient quantity to substantially alter the pliability of the material.

' Final surface composition Per cent by weight Urea I formaldehyde monohydrlc alcohol reaction product 33.90 N-Butyl acid phosphate 1.00 Ortho-cresyl para-toluene su1fonate- 8.50 Paraffin wax (145 F. melting point) .57 N-Butyl alcohol 22.60 Toluol 33.43

The urea formaldehyde resin used in the above composition was made in accordance with U. S. Patent 2,191,957.

The final surface composition is prepared by mixing a 10% solution of the paraffin wax in toluol and a 60% solution of the urea formaldehyde resin in normal butyl alcohol, with the remaining ingredients in the composition. The surface composition was applied and dried with the same means employed in connection with the application of the first coating and intermediate coating compositions. Approximately 1 ounce of the final surface composition is applied per yard per 60 inch width which corresponds to approximately .4 ounce of non-volatile components per yard per 60 inch width. The final surface coat is dried at the rate of 6 yards per minute by passing the material through a foot drying chamber heated to 240-260 F. After the urea formaldehyde resin is set up it does not become soft and ticky by the application of .heat. The coated fabric herein described is resistant to the development of tackiness when dishes heated to 400 F. are placed on the coating. An excess of the final surface composition is to be avoided since an exces will result in an undue stiffening of the fabric.

The total amount of the separate compositions applied to the fabric is insufiicient to provide a smooth surface. The base and intermediate coatings being a thermoplastic material tend to settle down in the interstices of the fabric during the drying process and provide a surface which has the appearance and feel of an untreated fabric surface. The thermosetting final surface coat, being a varnish type composition rather than a lacquer type, immediately flows and assumes the contour of the intermediate coating.

The primary purpose of the thermosetting urea formaldehyde resin top coat is to produce a surface which will not become sticky when hot surfaces are brought in contact with the coated fabric. Sufficient plasticizer is incorporated in the urea formaldehyde resin composition to provide a flexible film but insufiicient plasticizer to produce a heat-sensitive coating. The paraiiln wax in the first, intermediate and surface coating is present to provide a composite coating with improved stain resistance and which is readily cleanable.

As a modified procedure the first coating composition may be eliminated entirely and the design printed on the dyed or undyed fabric over which is applied the intermediate coating composition and a final surface coat of the thermosetting composition. Also the intermediate coating may be eliminated entirely and the first coating applied on the base fabric over which is applied the design coating, and'the thermosetting coating is applied directly over the said design coating.

Fabrics other than Osnaburg sheeting, such as, for example, square weave sheetings, drills, sateens and broken twills, may be used as the base fabric, also non-woven textile fabrics may be employed as the base fabric. The use to which the material is to be subjected will determine the type of base fabric. In some compositions other cellulose ethers such as benzyl cellulose may be used in the place of ethyl cellulose. Also thermosetting non-thermoplastic resins other than urea formaldehyde may be used in the surface coat such as, e. g., phenol formaldehyde and certain alkyd resins which are substantially colorless. In fact any thermosetting resin which will anchor to the thermoplastic coating and is substantially colorless may be used for the surface coat.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention employs paraihn wax, other unsaponifiable hydrocarbon waxes such as ceresin wax may be employed in both the thermoplastic and thermosetting compositions. Saponifiable waxes are not suitable for use in the present invention since ethyl cellulose dissolves on heating with most saponiflable waxes.

The invention is not to be limited to the use of any particular plasticizers; however, a plasticizer which will not exude from the coating at high temperatures is required.

While the invention has been described with reference to table cover material for which the material is particularly designed, it may be used in preparing fabrics for use wherever a soft,- cleanable, stain-resistant and heat-resistant coated fabric is desired, in which case the design coat may be eliminated.

The material herein described has particular advantage over untreated cloth in that it is stain resistant and may be cleaned by employing a cloth, soap and water. The material does not require laundering as does untreated table linen. The material also has advantage over coated fabrics previously proposed for table linens in that the material is sufiiciently soft and supple to permit draping over the edge of the table in the same manner as untreated cloth and yet will not become sticky as a result of the plasticizer present in the coating spewing to the surface when hot (as hot as 400 F.) dishes are placed directly on the coating. Another advantage of the material of the'present invention over the prior art lacquered fabrics for table linens is the linen-like appearance since the fabric design is not obliterated. The material not only has the appearance but also the feel of untreated linen, since there is not suflicient coating applied to produce a smooth level surface.

It is apparent that manywidely diflerent embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore, it is not intended to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim: y

1. A textile fabric having a thin coating of a thermoplastic composition containing a cellulose ether and a thin surface coat of a thermosetting composition containing a urea formaldehyde resin, the finished fabric having substantially the same degree of suppleness as the uncoated fabric.

2. A textile fabric having a thin coating of a clear thermoplastic ethyl cellulose' composition next to the fabric, an intermediate design coat comprising a pigment, plasticizer, and ethyl cellulose, and a thin surface coat of a composition containing a urea formaldehyde resin, the finished fabric having substantially the same degree of suppleness as the uncoated fabric.

3. A supple coated fabric comprising a woven base, a thermoplastic composition containing ethyl cellulose applied directly thereto, a design printed thereon, a clear coat comprising ethyl cellulose, and a surface coat of a composition containing a thermosetting urea formaldehyde resin, the finished fabric having substantially the same degree of suppleness as the uncoated fabric.

4. A supple tablecloth comprising a textile fabric base having a thin base coating of a pigmented thermoplastic ethyl cellulose composition applied over said base fabric in theform of a design, a clear thermoplastic ethyl cellulose composition applied over said design and a finalsurface coat of a urea formaldehyde composition, the

finished fabric having substantially the same degree of suppleness as the uncoated fabric.

5. The process of preparing coated fabrics which comprises applying to a base fabric a thin film of thermoplastic composition containing a cellulose ether, allowing the same to dry, printing a design on the coated fabric, applying a composition containing a thermosetting resin, and thereafter heat setting the resin, the finished fabric having substantially the same degree of suppleness as the uncoated fabric.

6. The process of claim 5 in which ether is ethyl cellulose.

7. The process of claim 5 in which the resin is a urea formaldehyde resin.

the cellulose 8. The process of claim 5 in which the resin is a urea formaldehyde monohydric alcohol resin.

9. The product of claim 4 in which the thermoplastic composition is present in the amount of about 1.6 ounces per yard of non-volatile material per yard of inch width of fabric and the urea formaldehyde composition is present in the amount of about .4 ounce of non-volatile material per yard of 60 inch fabric, the finished fabric having substantially the same degree of suppleness as the uncoated fabric.

- ROBERT L. LESTER. 

